Recipe - Richard Matthews Burgoo

3 qt Water or stock
Three fourths pound Lean inch minced stewing beef
Three fourths pound Inch minced pork shoulder
3 One half pound Chicken; disjointed
Water to cover
2 One half cup Ripe tomatoes, quartered;
peeled and seeded
1 cup Fresh lima beans
One half Red pepper; minced
4 Green peppers; minced
Three fourths cup Onion; minced
1 cup Carrots; minced
2 cup Potatoes; minced
1 Bay leaf
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cup Corn freshly cut from the
cob

Mulligan stew is said to have originated in hobo camps during the early
1900s, mulligan stew is a sort of catchall dish of whatever is available.
It usually contains meat, potatoes and vegetables in just about any
combination. The name indicates that its origins might come from IRISH
STEW, but it's also often compared to Kentucky BURGOO. The cook at a hobo
camp responsible for putting this tasty concoction together was called a
"mulliganmixer."

If you are like most people you have never heard of much less eaten burgoo.
This is one of those times its definately best to be in the minority.
Burgoo is a savory stew made from a varying array of ingredients. If is
often cooked in enormous iron kettles outdoors over an open flame. Cooking
can take as long as 30 hours and flavor improves as it ages. It has been
said that burgoo is more of a concept than a recipe. This is because there
are as many different ways to prepare burgoo as there are people who
prepare it. The meats could include any or all of the following meats:
mutton (sheep/lamb), beef, pork, chicken, veal or opossum, rabbit, squirrel
You will also find some combination of these vegetables: potatoes, corn,
lima beans, tomatoes, okra or green beans. Of course there are also many
spices to choose from as well. As you might imagine there are many people
who keep their recipes a closely guarded secret.

It is believed that the word "burgoo" originated in the 17th century on the
high seas. These sailors used to subsist on an oatmeallike porridge made
from the MiddleEastern grain, bulgur (or bulghur) wheat. The term first
appears in the 1650 book "Adventures by Sea" by Edward Coxere.

Put in a heavy lidded kettle with:

3 qts. water or stock
Three fourths lb. lean inch minced stewing beef
Three fourths pound inch minced pork shoulder

Bring pot one slowly to a boil. Reduce heat at once..and slowly simmer
about 2 One half hours.

In another heavy kettle put:

1.1 disjointed 3 One half lb. chicken with just enough water to cover.
2.Bring these ingredients to a boil.
3.Reduce the heat at once...and simmer about 1 hour or until the meat can
easily be removed from the bones.
4.Put the chicken meat and the water in which it was cooked into the
first
kettle with the other meat after it has simmered the 2 One half hours as
directed.

At this time also add:

2 One half cups quartered ripe, peeled and seeded tomatoes
1 cup fresh lima beans
One half red minced pepper
4 minced green peppers
Three fourths cup minced onion
1 cup minced carrots
2 cups minced potatoes
1 bay leaf
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Simmer this whole mixture One half hour or more before adding

2 cups corn (freshly cut from cob)
Cook about 15 minutes more or until all the vegetables are soft
Correct the seasoning.

Some think Burgoo is not Burgoo without squirrel, but then maybe that was
Hunter's Stew, which was made in an old iron wash pot, out doors over a
fire. To be eaten at night while listening to mountain music....hounds
running a coon up and down ridges & hollers.
Recipe By : Richard Matthews

Posted to bbqdigest V4 #59

Date: Tue, 26 Nov 1996 08:03:24 0800 (PST)

From: Tom Solomon bigheat@earthlink.net